A Star From Scratch
by AkitaNeruIchiban
Summary: Rin is the world's number one vocalist. Len is her new student. If they're both living together, what will happen?
1. Chapter 1: Meeting Rin

The wind was quite refreshing on this late summer day. It was only the third week of the new school year. In a small town, just 100 miles from the big city, was a house that resembled any other in the neighborhood. Unlike the surrounding area, most of the houses here were slightly larger than the average hotel room, like a mobile home that wasn't mobile. Right in the middle of the block was the place a blonde-haired teenage boy, now sleeping in his bedroom, called home. There wasn't much in the room, only a dresser, bed, and nightstand with a lamp and alarm clock on it packed into the 6 by 8-foot room. Home sweet prison?

A singing voice begins to fill the bedroom, coming from an alarm clock sitting next to the sleeping boy, known as Len Kagamine. From his immediate reaction, which involved him rocking his head in his groggy state, getting up and dancing through the whole five-minute song, then laying back down on his bed as if nothing had happened, one could guess that she was his favorite singer. If someone were looking through the window and saw him...

 _Why does it have to-I just want more sleep-ugh, I have to get up_ , he thought.

After fifteen minutes of failed attempts to get out of bed, the alarm clock went silent, reading 7:25 a.m.

 _Great, another boring day._ Len lived alone, his parents having sent him to college and paid for his living expenses. He lamented his cheap house, if it could even be called a house, in this run-down neighborhood.

As if the size of his room wasn't enough of a metaphor for his life, the day at college was a clone of every other: sit in class, spend the whole time listening to lectures, occasionally working on some randomness or answering the instructor's questions, go home, come back tomorrow. He hadn't even decided what to study; it was just that his parents figured he should get a college degree, so he was finishing general courses.

After spending a few long hours finishing his coursework, he relaxed on his bed. Being eighteen, he was going to have to think about his life after high school at some point. It probably meant finishing college, but while he wasn't much better than the average student, he did have one dream for the future. Well, in addition to finding a better house.

Len pushed a button and a song began to play from the alarm clock, which was also a radio and CD player. This female singer's voice was slightly lower pitched, but the voice of the backing singer was clearly the same girl from earlier.

 _I want to become a singer._

* * *

Life in this suburban area was quite peaceful, considering that the neighbors were lively, yet kept to themselves. Len was not one to spend a ton of his spare time outside, aside from the occasional walk through the neighborhood's park. Today was one of those days. It was during walks like these that he could clear his mind of all the troubles of school, breathe fresh air without a care in the world, and relax. Len had been here enough to recall the features from memory. They were nothing too special, the city block-sized park surrounded by trees, most of them ash and maple, with large oak trees marking the corner, leaving gaps barely wide enough to walk through easily. It was beautiful to watch the leaves fall off, especially on a cool, clear autumn night such as this. The center of the park had a large fountain, ornately crafted from stone and decorated with small angels and pond animals. It was like a huge wishing well, complete with tons of change on the bottom. Len secretly wondered how much was lying on the bottom, signs of peoples' wishes.

Surrounding the fountain was a cobblestone walkway, with six wooden benches on three sides each and four on the last. There was something special about the crude and dilapidated state of the park, with its heavily rusted playground, that made it feel pleasant and homely, like a gift from the past.  
But today, Len was not appreciative of the scenery, contrary to his usual demeanor. The normally vibrant and energetic blond had more important things to deal with, like the familiar looking teal haired girl sitting next to him under the lone cherry blossom tree, her downcast eyes showing melancholy while the rest of her face had an overjoyed expression.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," Miku said, plainly. "I taught you a little bit, but I'm nowhere near as good as she is. She seems nice, though."

"Thanks, Miku. I promise I'll do my best! It's always been nice to just sit and talk to you. Promise me you'll visit."

As the two chatted for a solid two hours, nightfall came and the time came to say goodbye. Miku was famous now. Her demo of World is Mine resulted in her signing a recording contract, but she had to move across the country. It had only been a week since she sent the demo, but now she had to say goodbye to her best friend.

 _Is it too late to dream?_ he thought.

After school the next day, Len was about to catch the bus home when someone pulled him back by his shoulders, spun him around, and walked him to an area with few people. Normally, this would be suspicious, but Len didn't resist at all. It wasn't until he was already in the black SUV, the person behind him having got in and the vehicle already moving that his suspicions were confirmed.

The one who pulled him aside removed her sunglasses, wig, and black sweatshirt, revealing a familiar green haired girl.

"Len?" a voice asked. Len recognized it as the second singer's.

"Gumi? What a surprise!" he replied, happy to see her.

"I have a little surprise for you," Gumi responded cheerfully.

"Where are you taking me?" Len asked inquisitively.

"Just to my house."

A few minutes later, they reached their destination and walked up to her front door. Len knew Gumi had prepared something exciting and he was anxious to find out what.

"Close your eyes," Gumi said softly. A blindfold covered Len's eyes before she helped him through the front door.

Standing in front of him was another girl. She looked nearly identical to him, save for a few feminine features, but what seemed to be his reflection was his favorite singer standing in front of him.

"Hi, I'm Rin Kagamine. It's nice to meet you!"

"Surprise!" Gumi announced.

 _What? THE Rin Kagamine is here? I don't know what to say! Is there a way to disappear?_ Len instinctively hid behind Gumi, grabbing her shoulders and trying to appear as small as possible.

"I'm sure you're wondering what's going on. Remember how you wanted to find someone to teach you to sing?" Len's already racing heart beat even faster. "If you want, I can be your teacher. I guarantee you will become a famous singer, but you must listen to my orders absolutely. This also means that you will live with me at my house at no cost. Sound good?"

"Yes!" Len screamed immediately, loud enough to startle Rin.

It took a few seconds for Len to realize the magnitude of what he had agreed to. His idol, the most popular singer and richest woman alive, training him personally in her own mansion? He nearly fainted.

Of course, this meant that his parents wouldn't have to pay for his living expenses. The mansion she lived alone in would be more than enough space for the two of them and the cost meant nothing to her. While both of their parents might have objections, the only real issue was the awkward conversation convincing them that two teenagers, especially around this age, living together in a teacher-student relationship was not suspicious. He would have jumped at the opportunity for a romantic relationship with her, but this was not the time for that.

Len's racing thoughts slowed a bit. This is going so well, I'll be a star in no time! Wait, how much do I really know about Rin? Well, Rin was a straight-A student, always wears a white bow, is the same age as me, and... I kind of don't know much about her personally. She seems nice on stage and I guess I can trust her. If there is a God, please don't let me embarrass myself in front of Rin.

* * *

Hi everyone! Any feedback you have about this story is welcome. Writing really is harder than it seems. I put this story in "Romance/Drama" even though it doesn't exactly fit that descriptor right now; it will as the story continues.


	2. Chapter 2: The First Day

"So, is it time for me to start packing?" Len said eagerly, unable to hide his excitement.

"Actually, we're going to do some training first," Rin chimed.

"How long will it take?" He didn't want to wait any longer, but Rin wouldn't hold him back for too long, right?

"We might be able to finish in five or six hours." Len's jaw dropped.

"You're serious?"

"Yes," she deadpanned. Rin shot him a devilish grin, noting his acquiescence. Inside, Len wanted to protest, that it was so cruel to wave the banana in his face and tell him he can't have it. He wanted to see her house, to glimpse into the exciting life Rin had and that he would be blessed with sharing. On the other hand, he knew that Rin knew what she was doing and how valuable this chance was, so he gave no resistance. The playfulness in Rin's voice was something Len was starting to loathe. In fact, it seemed like Rin was going to have fun making him suffer.

Len had been at Gumi's house too many times to count; the two had met early in grade school, so he was able to recount its features effortlessly. It wasn't massive, but it was a big step up from Len's place. While the exterior was white and plain, there was a lot of space inside. The large living room was just inside the front door and connected to most of the large seeming house, even though it only had five rooms. The walls were the same shade of green as Gumi's hair while the decor and furniture were bright orange, matching her outfit.

The trio went over to Gumi's spacious living room and set up music stands in a triangle in the center of the room. Rin's cheery demeanor seemed to be a sign that training would be a lot of fun, especially with ten minutes they used on warm up exercises.

"Let's start with this." Rin placed sheet music for "I Love" on a stand in front of Len.

Len scanned the score, noting the fast tempo. Lots of sixteenth note rhythms, really fast tempo. Oh, and a legend right next to me. This can't end well. It's not the hardest, but it's definitely not going to be easy.

"Is this too hard?" Rin asked placidly.

"It shouldn't be," Gumi fired back. Len nodded slowly in agreement.

The song itself was not one of Rin's most difficult, but it was quite challenging for someone with Len's skill. If someone were to try it in karaoke, they would either sound amazing or absolutely terrible. Rin had asked Miku about his skill level; she responded by saying he had a great grasp of fundamentals, but lacked the discipline of a mature singer. In other words, he could sing all the words to a song, hit the right notes most of the time, and it wouldn't sound terrible to the untrained ear. However, a lot of passages would be breathy, breaths would be taken in the wrong places, and some mistakes in rhythm would be present. Gumi was on par with Miku and had her own singing career, but Rin was still miles ahead of both of them in skill and fame.

"1-2-3-4..." Rin counted in.

"nani ga..." Len sang. Rin stopped him immediately.

"One beat early and it's nani ka, not nani ga. Try it again..." Rin hissed. He finished the song, but it was full of pauses and hard to hear.

"I love..."

"You're holding the note too long. 'I love.', got it?"

It was going to be a long lesson.

After the nearly six hours it took for Rin to be satisfied by Len's progress, which meant he could run through the song without sounding like a hyena, the session concluded with the trio having to sprint a mile on the track outside Rin's house; Gumi having driven them. Gumi's car was nothing special, just a cheap, green Ferrari that Rin had given her as a gift; it matched her hair color. Before the two could get to the track, Rin told the security guard that Len was moving in.

Len was an average athlete, but he simply couldn't keep up with Rin as she passed him before finishing in just over five minutes, two laps ahead. Even Gumi was half a lap ahead of him and finished almost a full lap ahead. First an exhausting singing lesson, then running. The difficulty was to be expected, but he hoped this wasn't a daily thing. He noticed that Rin's hair had fallen out slightly from her signature bow, and her sailor uniform was sweaty.

"Well... I guess we can take a short break, then it's back to training for another six hours!" The same playful tone from earlier was now met with a glare from Len. Len was sure she was joking this time, but he really didn't want it to be true.

It was just before sunset when Rin drove Len back to his old house to pack his belongings. This car was nothing special either, another cheap Ferrari, except in a yellow color. Gumi felt a little bad that Len's weekend began with a long, hard training session that lasted until well after sunset, with only an hour of breaks. It seemed a bit harsh to have him sprint a mile at the end to help him with his breathing.

Walking up to Rin's mansion, he noted its unique features. It was a bit lavish on the exterior, painted in a slightly yellowish orange, with the roof having a matching color. At least Rin made sure it was easy on the eyes beforehand. The curved exterior made it seem like the entire house was shaped like an orange.

He had seen it before, knowing it was Rin's house, and thought she was a bit strange living in that house. Then again, in her position, he would have had some sort of banana themed mansion going on.

Rin's mansion was relatively small for how rich she was, but there was still a lot. Len counted at least 18 rooms: a guarded entryway, a large foyer, 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, with one pair to the kitchen and the other pairs connecting to the dining room, a music room with adjacent recording room, two living rooms, a room for utilities, and a huge auditorium, complete with stage and seating, which also opened to the outside and had its own guarded entryway. Rin had her concerts at her own house, and the surrounding security protected her from fans. Security at her house was never a problem. Rin had shared her house with Kaiko, her servant and caretaker, but with Len moving in, the feeling of emptiness disappeared.

"As you probably already know, being my student will not be easy. The rules are simple. I say, you do. Give it your all, tell me immediately if you feel any unusual pain or need anything, and bedtime is 10 p.m. sharp. Any questions?" Rin said confidently.

"Do you have any bananas?"

After eating about a dozen bananas, Len was about to start unpacking, when he collapsed onto the bed in his new bedroom. Rin made a mental note to keep a stock of bananas on hand. She came up with a brilliant idea, and it had something to do with bananas.


	3. Chapter 3: A New Life

The next morning, Len got up a lot later than normal, feeling refreshed and energized from being able to rest after that long night. It was no surprise that Rin had not bothered him at all since bidding him good night. His room wasn't suited to his taste; the walls were the same orange color as the rest of the house, save for Kaiko's room. Len figured he might ask Rin nicely to repaint his room yellow. Instead of the cell-like bedroom he used to sleep in, he was now in a queen size bed, complete with expensive looking wood, a huge dresser and nightstand, a walk-in closet, a bathroom larger than his old bedroom next to his new bedroom, and a TV and computer, which he figured was for his personal use. In all, the furniture was probably more expensive than his old house; he wanted to thank Rin profusely for taking him in, but he knew he would have to work extremely hard to keep her happy, especially if he wanted some of the furniture repainted in his room. All of it was, you guessed it, orange. While the peaceful bliss of staying in bed, savoring this new life he had, was tempting, he thought it better to see what Rin had in store for him sooner rather than later.

He got out of bed, fixed himself up, and went to the living room, where he heard the sizzling of a frying pan. While he knew that someone was cooking, he expected it to be Kaiko; he was surprised to see Rin cooking breakfast for the two of them. The girl was truly amazing, being quite the cook in her own right.

"Morning, Sleepy Banana," she teased, in a really happy mood.

"You made breakfast?" Len asked eagerly. If he was trying to control his emotions, he wasn't doing a great job of it lately. His wide-eyed expression showed the surprise and excitement, but this was short lived.

"The banana ones are mine; you can have the orange."

"Really?" Len said dejectedly, clearly trying to hide the heartache. Actually, he had deduced that Rin was messing with him. The orange color all over the house and how she had eaten so many oranges during training was more than enough evidence, but he decided to let her have her fun.

"How sweet, you played along." Rin retorted.

"So, what's the occasion?"

"I thought I'd do something nice for you since you did quite well last night. See, I thought I'd give you something simple as a warm up before we really got into training. I was kind of expecting it would take two or three days to master that song, but you only took six hours. You have the day off, but tomorrow will be another training day. Don't tire yourself out; tomorrow will not be easy."

Len jumped at her, wrapping his arms around her loosely.

"Thank you, Rin!" he gushed. After a few seconds, he sat down and ate breakfast. It was pretty unique: banana pancakes, banana smoothie, and a banana on the side. Rin smiled radiantly, happy with her work. She sat down and ate breakfast across from Len, at the end of the marble dining table.

"Do you have a thing for oranges?" he asked, noting that her plate had pancakes with orange marmalade, a few oranges, and orange juice.

"Oranges are amazing," she stated placidly.

"Bananas are better!" Len fired back.

"If you say so." Rin stuck her tongue out at Len.

The two would fire at each other as they ate breakfast, but there was no clear winner. After they finished eating, they agreed to a truce. Rin was busy planning the next lesson and went to her room quickly. Len followed suit, contemplating how to spend his free day.

Len had a few loose ends to tie up, like withdrawing from college and the bags to unpack, but he spent most of his time singing along with some of Rin's songs.

"Man, I really sound like her," he said to no one in particular.

* * *

FLASHBACK

Rin was only twelve years old, an aspiring singer with tons of natural talent. Back then, her hair was a bit shorter, and her outfit was a bit more wrinkled. Her first song, Daughter of Evil, was very well-liked, but nothing to write home about. So, here she was, in the dilapidated neighborhood she called home, trying to break free. The song had taken two months to write and a week to record, but to her, it seemed as though she was not good enough. Good enough to write a song a few people liked, but not enough to leave this depressing part of town. It wasn't like her parents could do anything. With their minimum wage jobs and long hours barely enough to pay the bills, the two came home and flopped straight into bed every night, lacking the energy for even an "I'm home" or "good night, Rin," though they always glanced in her direction and nodded as their eyes locked, however briefly, every time. If that wasn't bad enough, they left an hour before Rin woke up every morning. She didn't really mind since they were trying their hardest, but it was a pitiful sight.

One day, while on the bus home from school, she spotted a blond-haired boy, no older than her, walking on the sidewalk, eyes downcast, but he glanced at her as she passed. It was only for moment that she saw him, but it was enough to stick in her mind.

Shortly after, her song Meltdown was a breakout hit, and she moved to her current house, where her parents lived with her and Kaiko until she was sixteen, when she left them a sizable sum to live their lives out happily, in another place.

Six years later, Rin saw the same blonde hairstyle, that unmistakable face. It was such a familiar sight; it had to be him. As her friend held up the picture, she recognized him and instantly knew. Blushing slightly at his appearance, she figured that Gumi, who noticed the minute change in her expression, wouldn't realize that she had seen the boy in the picture before. That same, melancholic expression contrasted with his happier one in the picture, and she recalled herself wearing the same, sad expression he had before. The expression she had after realizing Daughter of Evil, the product of her hard work and effort, was not enough. In that moment they shared, six years ago, they had the same expression. The one of depression, failure, rejection, sadness. The dreams of a young, smiling, happy, innocent child being crushed by the harsh reality of a competitive world. If she were just given a chance... Could she give him a chance?

"Yes," Rin said sympathetically.


	4. Chapter 4: Challenges Begin

Len's rest day of unpacking and relaxing came to an end fairly quickly. While Rin said he had the day off, the eight hours he spent watching TV were not to his benefit. This became clear to him as he went to bed, quite tired from his off day.

"The off days are meant to keep you prepared to put everything into training. Didn't I tell you not to tire yourself out?" Rin chided as the lesson began at the inconvenient time: midnight.

 _Who begins a lesson at midnight? I get that she's so much more successful and I shouldn't even be thinking about this, but isn't this a little early to start?  
_  
"I know what you're thinking, but I said today wouldn't be easy. You probably already guessed from the running that singers need great stamina during long tours and recording sessions, so this is meant to help you prepare. If you fall asleep on me, you will be punished severely. Let's begin..."

Rin wasn't so cruel as to make every session start so early. Instead the early morning sessions were only once every two months, scheduled ahead of time. Normal sessions began at 11. Of course, the special sessions wouldn't be special without a mile sprint. The lessons were quite productive, but the mile sprints and breakfast usually ended up like this:

"I need a new trainer," Len said to no one in particular, running the mile sprint in the early morning, just before dawn.

"Did you say something?" Rin called from beside him.

"I said, I need a new trainer."

"Well, I need a better student. Someone who won't place a banana peel outside my room. I tripped three times already!"

"Serves you right, making me look at that awful orange wall color all over the house. Even my bedroom."

"Let me guess, you want to paint it yellow? What a silly idea."

"I hate you."

"Actually, I can arrange that for you, but since you hate me, I guess that won't happen."

"I unhate you."

"That's not even a word!"

"Stop wearing orange scented perfume, it's making me nauseous."

"Stop checking me out. Seriously, smelling my perfume? You creep!"

"Anyone could tell you that orange scent is bad. I might have to throw it out for you."

"How dare you! At least my fruit isn't a symbol for something dirty!"

"It is, but you don't have any of them."

"What do you- oh you are so dead!"

Len tripped over Rin's leg about 50 feet from the finish line. Hitting his face into the hard track was unpleasant, but he brushed it off. Rin stopped beside him and extended her hand.

"You're offering me a hand? I gladly accept. You really wanted to hold hands, didn't you."

"I should push you back on the ground!"

"How cruel. I knew I needed a new trainer."

As they walked inside, another truce was declared. Two days later, Len's room was painted yellow, much to Rin's disgust. Bickering aside, Len had no regrets about his decision to leave his family for Rin. He really shouldn't have told her that.

"Normally, people wait until after marriage to move in with a girl," Rin cooed.

"Are you implying I'd actually want to marry you?" Len retorted.

"I have money, fame, and any guy would happily marry me, including you."

"You're delusional. You might want to get that checked."

He really _really_ shouldn't have told her that.

"Aren't you supposed to meet my parents first?" Rin teased.

"I really should stop telling you my secrets."

"I order you to tell me all of your secrets."

"Not happening."

"You moved in with the richest and cutest girl without a romantic relationship? Are you, you know, gay?"

"I should ask you the same thing."

If anything, he _really really_ should not have said that.

"Yes, I am. I'll have to decline your offer of marriage. Sorry!"

Len nearly tripped. "Really? I would never have guessed."

"No, you idiot! Why would you ask such a thing?"

"You asked me first!"

Unsurprisingly, another truce was called. Their bickering happened so often, Kaiko scolded them regularly. Moving on to the actual lessons...

A lot of sessions were like his classes in school, only now Len had headphones that acted as an instant playback recorder (so he could hear himself the same way other people would did, instantly) and the worksheets were replaced with sheet music. It wasn't exactly that bad since he had an hour for breaks at his choosing. Singing for four hours a day was tiring, but having to stand on stage the whole time was nerve-wracking, even if the audience was just Rin. Every day of training was exhausting.

Well, having Rin in the audience was even worse than a full stadium of people. Things were going great, but it was only two weeks in and he was still messing up on the fundamentals. One time, Kaiko was his audience while Rin went to the bathroom, and Len's singing sounded worse the moment she walked out.

A few minutes later, Len felt a tap on the back of his neck. In his surprise, he nearly face first onto the black, masonite stage floor, his hands taking the brunt of the fall.

"I caught you slacking," she said devilishly. "Are you sure you'd want to sing like that during a real concert?"

Len's reaction was immediate. He knew his voiced changed when she left, but it was probably a lack of confidence or just a way to cope with the intensity of training. He shook his head rapidly and held his head down.

"Sit in the audience for a second and pay attention," she ordered calmly.

A minute later, an angelic voice filled the nearly empty auditorium as Rin began to sing Kokoro. There was no lack of confidence whatsoever, her stage presence showed that she loved singing, and her technical skill was impeccable. For the entire song, Len basically fell in love with her voice, noting all the things she did right as a performer. Once she finished, Len didn't know how to react. Clearly, Rin's skill was exceptional, but he had just witnessed her perform live, sitting in the front row, just for him. Ten minutes later, Rin decided that training had to continue. There were about two hours left.

* * *

 _It's easier said than done,_ he thought.

Here he was, on stage in the auditorium. His audience was comprised of thousands of empty seats and Rin.

 _If I had to choose between Rin or a packed house without her, I'd be less nervous with the packed house._

The stage equipment was state-of-the-art and both Rin and Len had earpieces on. Additionally, all of his singing was automatically recorded for playback. For better or worse, he'd have to sing in front of her- here, on stage, with no voice to hide behind, all of his mistakes being recorded- and face her criticism. That wasn't bad. The hard part was what came after.

Len was a decent singer. His singing was pleasant to the ear and he could hit most notes in his range easily, in addition to having a great feel for rhythms. If it were just a performance, he could pull it off, or at least have the excuse that he was still in training.

"Today, you'll begin recording a cover of you-know-who's signature song," Rin stated proudly. "I wrote the changed lyrics down."

"Sounds easy enough," Len said cheerfully.

"Aren't you nervous? Oh, I almost forgot. It's going to be sent to my record label along with my new song. On top of that, I'm also releasing your cover on all of my social media accounts."

 _Make an excuse... I'm not ready for this!_ Len shuddered at the thought of millions of Rin's fans hearing his recording.

"I'm basically recording a lot of takes and keeping the good ones, right?" he asked, a bit shocked at the prospect of having to record a song in a day.

"Yes, and you have a week to finish it," Rin chimed.

It had only been two weeks since they started training. Now, she wanted him to release a cover of World is Mine, to be seen by tens of millions of fans.

The shock set in after a few minutes.

* * *

Well, she's done it again! Rin Kagamine tops the charts with her third straight single: here is Abstract Nonsense.

As the song played, Len stopped the homework he was doing and listened: listened like it was the only thing that mattered, listened because he found himself in heaven with every passing second, listened and found himself wanting more as the song concluded. Most importantly, he dreamed of being as good as her, as he loved music deeply and singing and writing because it brought him joy.

For the next two years, this ambition was his life. He wrote manuscripts of songs, tuning his voice, spending countless hours trying to improve and create; he had written lyrics for over 200 songs and recorded at least a whole month of recordings that he didn't immediately delete for being bad. Shortly after he began his efforts, Gumi trained him. It must have been bittersweet luck when Gumi's career took off a week into training, and she could not find the time to continue. Finally, he found Miku, who also coached him. Miku's fame was sudden and came later, leaving him without a mentor. Then came that fateful day.

"Hi, I'm Rin Kagamine!"

All of my training, all of my effort, it all comes down to what she will do with me. Please, if there is a God in heaven, keep Rin smiling every day. Because if she gets mad, it's probably my fault and I'm totally screwed. I know she can make me successful, but I need her to want to keep training me. Without her, I have no future. She took me into this heaven, and I'd give everything to stay here. Is there even a way to repay her?

"Give it your all..."

* * *

"Rin, please, I need more training," he begged. This wasn't talking in front of a class, or even performing for a packed stadium. _Millions_ of people would be hearing his recording, and he was definitely not confident.

"What is the problem?" Rin replied immediately, curious.

"I don't think I'm ready to do something this big," Len said apprehensively.

Rin was about a foot away, facing Len. She reached her hand forward and assumed a fighting stance, presumably about to slap Len. Inwardly, he wanted to back away, hold her back, anything that would spare him from the inevitable onslaught. He stood steadfast, knowing that running would make it worse. In other words, Rin was going to clobber him, he knew it was coming, but he couldn't show any defiance.

"I agreed to be your teacher. Me, the _best_ singer in the world. Are you doubting my judgement?" Rin replied sternly. Len began to tremble, unsure of his fate. It was without question that he would have to accept whatever punishment she gave, but his loyalty was no cure for his fear of the impending doom. Realizing how serious Rin was, he assumed a dogeza and waited for the inevitable.

"One attempt," she replied. "Do not fail."

So it began, Len having to perform once, with music. He gave it everything he had, then waited for Rin's next move.

"Tell me, how did you do?" This Rin was very scary. Where could he run? Was he good enough? He didn't know anymore.

"I don't know," he admitted, still trembling.

Len received a blow to the chest, falling backwards onto the hard stage floor.

"Well? Answer me."

"I-I did o-ok...?"

Another blow to the chest.

"Make up your mind."

"I gave it my best and let everyone know how good I am."

Rin's fist came towards his chest again, but stopped before reaching him.

"Was that so hard?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"I will not tolerate laziness or lack of effort. Your punishment is not over. If I catch you slacking again, it will not end well. Also, you can't have any bananas until tomorrow."

 _No bananas..._

Perhaps this was a good time for another dogeza?


	5. Chapter 5: Showtime

"Oh, how heartwarming it is when you see someone falling in love with your song, your voice. The joy of singing and songwriting is nothing without being able to share it with others. It's not about money or record sales; it's about the love of music. I know the feeling. Minutes turn into hours, days, weeks, and finally you have finished the magic of making that song. So you think about releasing it. Is it perfect enough? Am I good enough? The hope that people will love it, the joy you get from making music, the motivation to keep trying, keep writing. Inside, you hope that everyone hears your silent plea: please be nice to me. I'm trying my hardest. The rejections can be devastating, but the success is worth it."

"Then why, why did you strike me?"

"You wouldn't have taken me as seriously if I didn't, would you? Plus, as your teacher, I know you won't hit me back. I really should punish you more often. It's fun!"

"Not falling for it."

"Ugh, fine. You needed a kick in the rear. The bananas thing was a lie too."

"I guess that makes sense. Can you give me a sample to work with?"

"You want to fall in love with my voice again? Ok!"

Once again, that angelic voice filled the auditorium with sound, making Len fall back in surprise. This was not him sitting in the audience. He was next to a legend as she was performing. There was still no lack of confidence whatsoever, and her technical skill was impeccable for a first run-through. For the entire song, the urge to sit back and just enjoy the heaven that was Rin's voice was irresistible. Len had to note the nuances of her performance and implement them in his own. As the song ended, it took everything he had not to beg her to just sing; he had just felt the most amazing feeling ever. Once she finished, she went over the two mistakes she had made throughout the song.

 _Hold on, she knows her mistakes already? I really have a lot to learn... And she's really cute. I really want to kiss her- No, Len, no!  
_  
"Remember, I don't want you to stop with the first take you like. Amateurs practice until they get something right, professionals practice until they can't get it wrong. It's still due in a week."

Len set to work on using Rin's second take, which she deemed to have no mistakes, as a practice tool.

As he got to the music room, he noticed a note attached to the door.

 **To Len:**  
 **-The emotion has to be your own, don't just copy mine. Everyone will know it's insincere.**  
 **-Pay attention to articulation and overlap the takes if you need to compare large segments of both until you find a mistake.**  
 **-Don't forget to let me review your better takes as soon as you finish them. I promise I won't laugh.**  
 **-I expect you to try your hardest. If you don't, you will be punished.**  
 **-If you need me, push the "Call your overlord Rin Kagamine" button on the wall. I'll be busy working on my next song.**  
 **-Oranges are better than bananas.**  
 **Love, Rin.**

 _What do you mean "I promise I won't laugh"? Don't think I missed that bananas thing either. And "your overlord" is really rubbing it in._

* * *

Rin found a note on her bedroom door after hearing a knock.

Dear Rin, I have finished two good takes of the song for you to review. I want to thank you for the inspiration for this cover, but I also threw out all the oranges in the house. Here is a banana to make you feel better. Love, Len.

"Threw out all the oranges, huh?" Rin cackled. "There's so many of them right... here?" Her voice trailed off as she realized the table, normally full of oranges, had none.  
As she ran through the house, she couldn't find any oranges where she normally would.

"You are _so_ dead Len!" Rin shrieked, definitely loud enough for Len to hear, wherever he was.

As her frantic searching continued, she found nothing until she ran to the music room door and saw all the oranges in a large bucket, with another note attached.

 **Dear Rin, I couldn't resist doing this. Hope you understand. With passionate love, Len.**

Her face went bright red as Len had opened the door and watched her read the note, silently laughing. Once she looked up, he fell over, nearly crying of laughter.

* * *

Rin's revenge came shortly after. She reviewed the first take with Len, laughing hysterically. Was it really possible for their voices to be mistaken for one another? Disregarding the difference in skill, Len's first take had him sounding _exactly_ like Rin. It wasn't the best quality, but she considered releasing it anyways.

"You said you wouldn't laugh..." Len cried, resembling a tomato with a face.

"I'm _totally_ releasing this right now!" Rin exclaimed, giggling happily.

"Kaiko prepared me for this type of thing. I have a bunch of your baby pictures I can post if you try." As he said this, he held out a picture of Rin as a two year old, clearly resembling her current self. "If you try anything silly, I also sent Gumi a few copies of some of the better ones."

If this were a competition of red faces and embarrassing each another, the two were playing leapfrog. She could simply be furious with him, but Gumi would have a _lot_ of fun with the baby pictures. As if she wanted more proof, Len's phone received a text at that very moment.

Gumi: Those are great baby pictures of Rin, Len! I've got your back. If Rin is reading this, sorry, but I can't resist if Len asks me to do something this fun!

"Truce?"

"Truce."

"This first one is great, but you're holding the ends of a few notes too long. Also..." Back to work.

"Wait, what?" Len spurted, shock setting in rapidly.

"Yes, tonight you will debut with your cover as an opener for her. She found out a few days ago," Rin replied calmly, a hint of irritation in her cheerful voice.

Hold on a second. It's been three days since I started work on the song and you want me to perform it on such short notice? I know you wouldn't do this under normal circumstances. Unless... There's only one good explanation for this.

He pictured Rin's reasoning, reading his mind like a book. _A few of these takes are pretty bad. Judging by his current skill, he's only spent between six and eight hours working on this since I gave it to him, even though he's had no other tasks from me for the past three days. Also, I'm taking my revenge. I guess now is a good time to break the news. Good luck, Slacking Banana.  
_  
Suddenly, Rin's ankles were grabbed from in front of her, the grip firm but loose.

"Rin, I'm sorry for touching your oranges! Don't do this to me please. I won't goof off anymore! Please, I just need more time!" Len said with a panicked voice, all in one breath.

"Your performance is in three hours. I'd hurry up with practice if I were you." This was punishment for not giving it his all, punishment for messing with her oranges, punishment for disobeying her.

"I deserve this. I went against you when I didn't try my hardest. You gave me so much and I should act more gratefully. Please forgive me!" As he finished the last word, Rin burst out laughing. _Looks like she was trying hard to hold it in._

"The real performance is in three weeks. I couldn't resist this either. Miku planned this concert a few months ago, but she won't know you'll be performing that cover until the day before. I guess that really adds to the pressure, huh?" Rin said cheerily. Len noted a slight twinge in her voice when she said pressure.

"I'll do my best!" Len said emphatically as he stood up.

"One more thing," Rin said smoothly.

"What?"

"I'm still going to make you pay for that prank."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Len was able to master the cover, to the point where Rin told him it was ready. It wasn't going to be released until after the concert, but Rin's record company had already prepared its release. Today is the big day! Well, the day _before_ the performance. Let's just say Miku isn't going to wait until tomorrow. In fact...

As Len was lying in bed, at about five in the morning, a crushing force came over his body, waking him immediately. It wasn't really heavy, but he knew it had to be a person.

"Yuck, it smells like leeks," he said groggily.

"You know, I'm in quite the position to make you pay for saying that," Miku said quietly, a bit more sternly than her typically vibrant tone.

"Right, you're so weak I wouldn't feel a thing," Len said cockily. He didn't have a chance to take it back. Miku hit him in the groin with her leek, quite forcefully, but not with all her strength. At least he had a blanket to protect him, if even a little.

"Feel that?" Miku asked triumphantly.

"Yes..." Len replied sheepishly, resisting the urge to let out a grunt.

"I'm so excited! You think I'm the number one princess in the world? Yay!"

Rin came in as she said this, saving Len from having to answer.

Aside from Len giving a short performance for the two of them, the rest of the day was uneventful.

* * *

Showtime! Rin's massive auditorium was jam-packed. There were emergency exits along the sides and back wall, about twenty feet apart, so the audience wasn't in a ton of danger.

"How many people are here?" Len asked nervously.

"The place can hold 10,000 people, but fans also have the option to watch at home," Rin replied. Checking her laptop, she opened the stream. "The stream is like pay-per-view. Right now, half a million people are watching and showtime is in an hour."

Over the past three weeks, Len also had to practice "I Love" in addition to the cover, but he didn't have the pressure of Rin releasing a version of it.

Five minutes before showtime, the streaming audience grew to 2.5 million, enough for Len to shake uncontrollably.

"Len," Rin said softly, tapping him on the shoulder. "Let's do it together, shall we?"

 _Wait, 'we'? That means..._ he thought, with a confused expression.

"Yes, we're doing a duet as the opener, then comes your solo act with Miku on stage. After that, I'm doing half a set alone, half as a duet with Miku, then she's doing a set to round out the concert."

Len's eyes were on the viewer count. He noticed the description at the top:

 **Miku Hatsune performs at the famed Orange Concert Hall, with special guests Rin and Len Kagamine! This show will be the debut for Len, Rin's protégé, who will perform a rendition of World is Mine!**

Oh God, five million people. I want to run so far away, the nerves are extreme. If I mess up, _Rin will kill me_ , or worse.

"It's time!" Rin said cheerfully, prompting Len to prepare for the curtain to rise.

Len's practice was enough that he performed the song like it was natural. Aside from the occasional check that he was in tune, all of his energy went to the emotion of performing, enjoying the thousands of fans cheering. It could have been all because Rin was on stage with him, but the chants of "Len! Len! Len!" were proof enough he was killing it.

After they finished, Miku came onto the stage as Rin introduced the cover of World is Mine.

"Thank you everyone! It's time for Len's solo performance. Here is World Is Mine!"

Nowhere to hide your mistakes now. Not that you'll make any.

Surprise! Rin came out dressed as Len to perform the visual part of the song. As Len looked at her, it was like looking at a perfect clone of himself.

"Sekai de ichiban ohime sama..." Perfect. Two things crossed Len's mind. Obviously, the performance he was doing right now. He also made a mental to see what kind of dance "Len" was doing with Miku after he got off the stage.

As soon as the song finished, he had good reason to be embarrassed. Was it his fault? Not exactly...

* * *

Rin had kissed him. Instinctively, he blushed noticeably and ran off the stage, which was met by resounding laughter and aws from the audience.


	6. Chapter 6: Experiment

Oh, writer's block, how I hate you so. Like Len in this story, I forced myself to continue. Sorry for the long wait. The seventh chapter is mostly complete as well, so expect that soon!

* * *

 **Flashback**

"Len, it sounds amazing, but you're still making a few mistakes. Give this next take everything you've got, okay?"

It was true that Len could have tried harder, but three hours had passed and he was becoming exhausted rapidly.

 _Please say I can take a break after this..._

Over the past three hours, Len had run through the song once, and Rin was on top of every mistake he made. He would sing until Rin called out a mistake, at which point she would stop him and outline the mistake, demonstrate the correct technique until he understood, then had him attempt it until he got it right. Once he got it right, he would have to sing the phrase five more times before they would continue. Her tone and demeanor were not the least bit condescending, but the repetition that went along with a mistake pointed out was still a bit embarrassing. It was amazing to have such a thorough and talented teacher, but his confidence shrank every time Rin pointed out a mistake.

"It's been three hours. I can offer you a break."

 _Finally! Wait..._ Len was a bit shocked at her statement.

"You actually knew it's been three hours?" Len replied, making no effort to hide his surprise. He probably shouldn't have said that.

"My my, no break for you then," Rin replied, deadpanning.

"I'm sorry!" Len's reply was immediate. It wasn't like his pride was really worth anything at this point; she seemed to own that too. The way he saw it, their arrangement really meant he was effectively her apprentice.

"Be back in an hour," Rin said as her voice returned to normal.

 _I've changed my mind. If there is a God up there, please don't let her get mad at me. She's scary enough already!_

The day off was nice, but it looks like I made a big mistake. Rin seems to be totally fine this time of day, not even yawning a little.

"If you fall asleep, you will be punished severely." Just do whatever she says, don't get caught slacking, and hope for the best. Sounds like a plan.

The same song. Please don't fail...

Len began to sing, but he was cut off after a few seconds for singing the wrong word. This can't end well.

"You're going to have to know how to sing difficult songs well during a concert, even if you haven't had any sleep. It happens sometimes." Rin's matter-of-fact tone supported her point, which seemed right to Len, but that was no consolation for his fatigue. If someone were to fall asleep on stage while singing, their career would take a hit. If he were to fall asleep on stage while singing at one of Rin's concerts, he would still be her apprentice, but in a lot of pain.

I get what she's saying, but this still feels unfair. It's hard to do my best when I'm fighting to stay awake. This hellish choice between staying awake and being punished by Rin is not what I had in mind when I said yes, but it's not like I regret that decision.

* * *

Len began to write in a notebook while laying on his bed:

Finally, the long session is over! That part of training sucks, but I have a lot to be thankful for. Rin allowed me to relax and only worry about getting better, I have the best possible vocal teacher, she is firm, but fair, and I have found my calling. Does this also mean Rin is into me? If that's the case, I better stay on her good side. I don't know what I'd do without her.

Wait a second... She's a smart girl, so she probably knows what I'm thinking. Of course she's cute... I can't help but want her, but since she's so famous, I can't make a move until she drops a hint. Unless she wants me to?

Well, I'm no expert, but a kiss in front of millions of people seems like a hint. Is she going to scold me for my performance? Does she want to be with me? Is this a game? I am so confused. Obviously, I can't just ask her, even though that would make things easy on me. If she's like any girl, she'd get uncomfortable with that. It's a hint, but it only goes so far. More than I care to admit, I want to make her mine, but she can't know that. Anything too romantic right now will never end well. If you love me, Rin, why do you tease me with this desire I can't satisfy?

When I first started as her student, she told me to keep a diary to keep my thoughts clear, so I wrote this page today.

I feel scared, nervous, and powerless. Rin can do anything she wants with me, I don't know what she truly wants, and I can't stop her from doing anything. On that stage, I felt like I was in heaven, then she kissed me. In that moment, it was blissful, but now I'm scared to death. I have to act like nothing happened until she lets me in, even as my body tells me to just grab her, kiss her, and make her mine forever. I fear the day she asks to read this, if it ever comes. Even though I consider it a diary since it has a lot of personal things, she didn't actually call it one. Even if she did, I still have to do everything she asks. She can sit there and wait, letting me burn with anticipation as she finds out how much I want her, but all I have about her is a kiss that could have just been a joke or a platonic, friendly gesture.

If you're going to tease me, can't you at least tell me you're doing it? Is that too much to ask?

* * *

As Rin walked off the stage after her set, she soon found herself unable to focus on Miku's performance.

 _I kissed him. On the lips and for a whole five seconds, in front of millions of fans. Why did I do such a thing? All this effort to see how good Len is and I already made myself look desperate! Is there a way to fix this? I wonder how he feels about me after that kiss..._

As she was thinking, she made her way back to the house, when she realized Len would be there. This realization came after she had already entered the house. About that entryway, it triggers a loud sound, similar to a doorbell, every time someone uses it. For security reasons, there is a retina scan before the door opens, but the real problem right now was Len definitely had to know she was back. The sound effect is clearly audible throughout the house, though it ranges from just above a whisper to a plane flying overhead, depending on the room. At this point, Rin was in the middle of the living room closest to the trio of bedrooms.

 _I have to see Len, but I'm shaking like crazy! He can't see me like this..._

"Great work, Rin!" Len's cheerful voice was only as loud as a normal speaking voice, but that didn't stop Rin's instinctive response from being triggered. A lesson about living with Rin- don't startle her. It's too late for that now...

It was just moments after Len finished speaking that Rin instinctively jumped backwards. Len was standing about a foot behind her, resulting in the two tumbling to the floor. They exchanged glances as they got up, nodding off the confusion. As if there were a more effective way to fix the awkward situation that inevitably followed, something remarkable happened: Len grabbed Rin's shoulders, exactly as she had done earlier, and planted a kiss on her lips.

"We're even now," Len said charmingly, winking. He walked towards his bedroom and got ready for bed, leaving Rin standing in the same spot, pupils wide open and mouth agape.

 _What just happened? He... kissed me? I don't know how to feel! It felt nice and he's a great guy, but this is all so sudden. I only kissed him on stage because it made sense for the performance, but why did he kiss me back?_

A few minutes later, Kaiko approached Rin. Rin's facial expression did not appear to change, but Kaiko must have figured it out: something happened between Rin and Len, and she isn't crying, so he must have kissed her. Kaiko walked away a few moments later, prompting Rin to go to her room and to try to piece together the events of the day.

* * *

 _Is the pressure on her now? I don't know why she kissed me, but I don't think she knows why I kissed her back. Seriously, there was nothing romantic yesterday and now we've both kissed each other without any romance. The kiss from her probably looked rehearsed, even though there was no mention whatsoever about any kissing between us. It's not like we're dating, right? Just a boy and a girl, the same age, living together, with no romance, right? But how does she feel about me?_

Len's mind ran wild with possibilities. _What if Rin is just playing around? Would it hurt to see how she feels? Even then, would I get an honest answer from someone so skilled at acting? Do I make the first move?_

 _As for whether she likes me, I have an idea. If I make the same move, she might be inclined to make another. Since she already did it, can I be wrong for doing the same? This has to work._

Rin had to come back sometime, he figured, so he waited for her return. The plan was simple: play it safe by making the same move she did.

As Rin entered the house, Len was waiting behind a wall next to the door, in a spot where Rin wouldn't be able to see him. As she stood in the living room, deep in thought, he approached from behind. Once he got to her, he let out a "great work, Rin!" in a normal but happy voice, causing Rin to fall backwards in surprise, with both of them tumbling to the floor. As they got up, Len put his hands out and Rin gave him a thumbs up, and they nodded slightly to each other. A few seconds later, it was time to act.

As he kissed her, she stood there in shock, but subconsciously reciprocated the kiss, which lasted a few seconds. Len gave her a bright smile and walked back to his room nonchalantly, knowing that Rin was in complete shock.

 _That went well. I think it's going to be much clearer, as long as she isn't mad when I wake up._

Once he got to his room, he got ready for bed and fell asleep, satisfied with the day's events.

* * *

Rin didn't have the same ease with falling asleep that night. When she was becoming famous, her career gave her direction, a purpose, a goal. Now that she was at the top and filthy rich, she didn't need to pursue her career as much. Len came along and now she has to figure out why her heart is telling her to keep him. Not only that, but actually keeping him without relying on her money or talent- her two best weapons.

Remember that lesson about not startling Rin? She also has a third weapon: her athletic ability.

The next day, Rin was sitting on the couch in the closer living room (it was next to the trio of bedrooms while the other was at the other side of the house) as Len came out of his room. She beckoned him to sit next to her, which he did. A moment later, she grabbed his hand and held his shoulders down with her hands; Len was basically lying on the couch while Rin was on top of him, kneeling on the couch with one knee between his legs.

* * *

There are a few notes for this chapter. The second kissing scene is a reference to the MMD video "Necchuusho" while the final scene of the chapter is a reference to "It's in the same pattern again!" The continuation isn't the same, but the descriptions in this story are. (Spoiler alert: Rin is not going to grab at Len's waistline like in the video.)


	7. Chapter 7: Interlude

The only physical contact they had with each other happened on stage and during their last mile sprint. This position was quite vulnerable for Len, but Rin wouldn't do anything crazy, right?

"Rin, what's going on?" Len's voice was calm but seductive. He seemed to be fine with the position he was in.

"Is something wrong?"

"I feel like this is another one of your tricks. You want to fool me into admitting something so you can tease me about it later. Nice try, Rin!"

 _I'm rich, famous, and cute. He must be shaking on the inside-is he just hiding it well? And how did he figure that out?_

"Is there a problem? You're blushing. Does that mean you enjoyed that kiss from me a lot? Could it be you wanted me to kiss you back sometime, and the kiss during the concert wasn't innocent?"

 _Blushing? I'm not. He thinks he read me like a book? That's impossible. Speaking of books..._

Rin got up and ran to his room, searching for a certain book. She wasn't having much luck.

"If you're looking for that journal, I hid it somewhere you won't find it." Len's taunts increased her desperation to find it. Even though she could admit defeat and just ask him where it was, there was no way she would do that. _Does Len have some kind of mind-reading power?_

"Tell me where you hid it!" While she used the most forceful voice she could manage, it sounded like a pout. Her nerves were acting up too much.

"You'll find it... eventually."

As Len went back to the couch and watched TV, Rin spent the next half hour searching everywhere she figured he could have left it. She didn't have any success.

As she entered the living room, she looked at Len and bowed her head sharply. "I give up. Is there even really a book?" Her melancholic voice conceded defeat.

"I knew you wouldn't look under your own bed." Len laughed.

As soon as she found it, she had a realization: it was basically a diary. Len was also behind her, so she couldn't secretly read it. Not that she would violate someone's privacy like that, especially Len's.

"You have my word: I won't read it. How did it end up under my bed?"

"I don't sneak into your room, and it wasn't Miku." Len's words made sense to her immediately. While cleaning, Kaiko would have been able to access the journal any time Len wanted it without him violating her privacy. She would have the sense not to do it while Rin was there, so only Kaiko could access it, at Len's request.

"Even though I won't read it, this is pretty unfair. I can't figure you out at all."

"Why don't you write a song about it?"

"You know I already did that. Isn't it the one you have on repeat, Melancholic? I wonder if you're feeling that way. You did fall in love with my voice and all the bickering could be trying to hide your true feelings."

Even if she was right, Len showed no fear. Well, she did have something to tell him.

"My parents want to meet you. I told them I'd visit every six months, and it's around that time again. Once they saw you performing, they asked me to take you with me. They live next to Gumi. Miku's also coming with us!"

 _Wait, what? It's been about a month since we met. We seem to get along well, but she didn't mention anything about her parents. How well do we really know each other?_

"When do we leave?" Len asked, still in shock.

"Now," Rin replied candidly.

"What do I bring?"

"Nothing, let's go!"

Rin must have planned this in advance, because Gumi and Miku both showed up at the same time, with Kaiko joining in as well. With Kaiko's brother, Kaito, driving, the six of them made the hour-long drive to her parents' house.

Upon arriving at Rin's parents' house, Kaito parked the yellow Ferrari in front of the garage, rang the doorbell, and the rest of them stood behind him.

While they were traveling, Len was informed that Rin's parents had already met the rest of them. This was highlighted by the person answering the door not seeing him until he had taken a step inside.

"So, you were hiding behind Kaito, weren't you?" The man's voice was deep, showing slight amusement. If he assumed correctly, this man was Rin's father. He was dressed in a suit and tie, in contrast to Len's plain t-shirt and running shorts.

"Hi, I'm Len Kagamine, Rin's student."

"Is that Rin's boyfriend?" This female voice was only different from the man's by the same degree that Rin's and Len's voices differed, except this one was excited and inquisitive.

"Sure is," the man called back.

"You must be Rin's father. Nice to meet you," Len said with a slight bow.

"Let's have lunch!" Rin's mother announced.

"Student, heh. She told us she was bringing her boyfriend!" Len's well-hidden blush was now fully visible as her father whispered into his ear.

 _If this is lunch, what is dinner supposed to be?_

In front of them lay an opulent dining table filled with Thanksgiving dishes, enough to feed at least ten people.

Before they could start eating, the doorbell rang again. Rin showed no emotion while the rest of them were surprised. Sensing this, Rin answered the door, revealing two familiar faces: Len's parents.

"Come in!" Rin exclaimed cheerfully, showing no deference to the rest of them. Len realized that Rin had invited them, though how she found out who they were was a mystery.

Rin's happy, smiling face was contrasted by the shocked expressions of the eight others, who exchanged glances, trying to figure out what happened. Her parents' first instinct might be to question Rin's decision to let the guests into their own house, but there had to be a good explanation.

Neither Rin nor Len communicated to their parents the events surrounding their encounter or in her house. As a result, both sets of parents were left with questions. Len's parents stepped inside as Rin invited them in.

Closing the door, Rin turned back toward the table and walked deliberately to the other side of the table. "I invited Len's parents. Kaiko helped me track them down, so I made arrangements to get them here. Even Len didn't know until now." As she finished speaking, Len wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. The four elders looked at each other, still trying to piece things together.

"So you dropped out of college to live with a rich girl?" Len's father asked with slight hesitation.

"I'm just her student, that's all," Len fired back. "She's teaching me to become a singer like her."

"Rin, is there a good reason for all of this?" Her mother showed the same hesitation.

"I'd be happy to explain all of this, but shouldn't we eat first?" Rin's confidence was not shaken at all. Miku's stomach rumbled, and she looked at Rin's parents with pleading eyes.

Following Thanksgiving tradition, they each said their thanks and ate; Rin was the only one who wasn't bothered by the lack of answers.

After eating and the duties of the meal were complete, Rin invited them all to sit in the spacious living room. It was almost identical to Gumi's.

"The Lost One's Weeping was actually inspired by Len. I saw him once before, saw how he looked like he was my twin, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. That moment drove away the burnout I was having. I was trying to track him down for some time. Gumi showed me his picture and said he wanted me to teach him, so I gave him a chance. It's been going great!"

"You dropped out of college to have singing lessons with Rin?" Len's mother asked. Len nodded in response.

"She guaranteed I would become a famous singer, even though she isn't that good at singing. I also can't stand her high-pitched voice." Len did an imitation-which sounded like a squeaky voice about an octave higher than Rin's and resembling a chipmunk voice. "Hi everybody, I'm Rin! I talk like this!"

"You little..." Calm down Rin, he's probably joking. Sure enough, he gave a small apology after everyone else laughed. "That's right, know your place banana lover."

"Hey, it's not like I'm supposed to be able to compete with someone who was born with all the talent in the world."

"Now that you mention it, my singing used to be terrible." To demonstrate this point, she played a sample of her singing from ten years prior. It sounded a bit like Len during the first lesson, though that Len would have needed to be half asleep and drunk to sound that bad.

"Here, I brought CDs of the latest release for everyone!" The release was composed of songs Rin had written and recorded over the past month, with the exception of the second track: Len's cover of World is Mine.

As Rin handed out the CDs, Gumi pulled out her tablet, which also acted as a cell phone. "I have some pictures from the concert for everyone to see. They're amazing!" They all got into position to see, when Gumi pulled up pictures from one of Len's texts. Rin shot Len a glare that said "you're dead" as the contents were now known to Len's parents and her closest friends.

After that was done, they found themselves on the same topic, albeit having had slightly more time to process the information.

"Rin Kagamine? I've never heard of you." Len's father mentioned nonchalantly. "How good are you?"

"Twelve number ones in a row, richest woman in the world, Song of the Year Winner five years in a row…" Rin listed in the same nonchalant manner.

"I was kidding. Len's bedroom walls are plastered with your stuff. He used to joke about how he wanted to marry you." Rin raised an eyebrow.

"Len got lucky on the chance that you'd take him as your student, and now you're living together, with no romance, even though you both chose each other?" The four elders looked at each other with knowing looks. When Miku put it that way, it looked like they were hiding something. Rin picked up on this immediately.

"Yes..." Rin admitted sheepishly. Turning to Len, she added, "I'm still a virgin!" Her defensive tone seemed to signal that the word had an important meaning.

"What's that mean?" Len was now confused. At this, Rin did her best to prevent the shock she was feeling from reaching her face, though everyone except Len noticed it.

A short silence followed, when Len's father finally said, "it's nothing." Len was no fool, but let the issue go.

Though she was rich, Rin wasn't too lavish or snobby at all. It's Thanksgiving with Rin's family, his parents joining in. It was a welcome break from the stress of training; who could ask for anything more?

Len could. There was one important question: what was he worth to Rin? More importantly, how was he to repay her for her constant kindness? Deep inside, he knew his performances before weren't his best effort. They were exceptional for someone with his skill level, but not his best. Worst of all, he knew Rin knew it too. If he didn't start improving his performance, surely she would bring the hammer down sooner or later.

Later that evening, Len dreaded the conversation to come as Rin looked at him, the two alone in a bedroom. Her beckoning and walking towards the closet, opening in, and their entry were complemented by her piercing gaze. There they were, at her parents' house, both kneeling on the carpeted closet floor.

"I'm in trouble, right?" Len offered sheepishly. Rin nodded solemnly. "What did I do wrong?"

"With all that I provided you, your only job was to sing. It should have been perfect, but we both know it was far from that. Why is that?" Rin was eerily calm and friendly, even as she scolded him.

Do I lie a little? Giving her an excuse can't end well. Will it work to say I had an off day? Anything? Focus, Len. Deep breath, in, out.

"I was trying hard, not my hardest, but really hard. When I got out there, the mastery didn't stop me from being so nervous. I wanted to give a great performance, but if it wasn't good enough by your standards, I guess I've failed."

"On stage, you're supposed to try to have fun with it. It was fine as a performance, but not up to my standards. The first month was to get you used to the intensity. If you don't have the willpower to master a song and perform it on stage, you must be lacking motivation. Tell me, how do you feel about singing?"

"It's something I thought I could devote all my effort into and have fun with. I was hoping I could be someone who succeeded. It wasn't this hard when I imagined it. After a while, I realized how painful it is to be away from this passion of mine. Two years of song lyrics and improving my voice led me to you. Is there a way to put the effort in and have fun with it?"

"You can have fun with it, but the hardest part is getting through the grind without becoming too discouraged or content. Like it or not, training sucks."

Len's honesty was clearly intended to mitigate Rin's inevitable displeasure at his performance. Having Rin mad is something to be avoided at all costs.

"I'll try harder next time." In fairness, to perform as well as he did in such a short span was on par with Rin's skill, if she were to exert no effort. If the circumstances were considered, the accomplishment would catch the eye of any talent searcher, but any world-class singer would have done better.

"If you're really lacking motivation, I can always beat you senseless until you can focus. Consider it a new addition to the training regimen."

 _Looks like you've dodged a bullet for now._

* * *

It's a bit later than I hoped, but the seventh chapter is complete. Thank you all for your continued support. I have to confess, I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible in light of the recent response. Finally, I get to have a review replies section!

Aurelien.S: I actually saw your review about 2 hours after you posted it. When someone questions whether they should continue or not, and I had this happen recently, the interactions with readers and the audience help a lot. I hope this chapter is to your liking. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8: Reflection

During the night, Len was still awake in his bed, reflecting on recent events. After their conversation, he had the following reflection:

Rin is quite the strict about putting in good effort. I don't know if I can keep this up. If I slip up now, she might really beat me up. She knocked me down last time without exerting any effort.

Do I really need to start a career in music? If I have Rin, won't her money take care of everything? She seems to be doing fine. If I just focus on staying with her, won't we be happy together? After all, aren't genuine relationships what everyone wants?

Too risky. If she suspects I'm using her, it's all over. With someone as rich as her, love is never guaranteed until you're married. I don't "have Rin" either.

I force myself to continue sometimes. It gets to a point where it means everything to just make progress. Time is ticking, Rin is watching, and I'm giving it all I've got. It's not always my best, but it is genuine effort. Powering through in the face of exhaustion is difficult. If only it weren't so hard to continue, to just enjoy it. Has it really stopped being as fun? What have I gotten out of it? A lot actually, but that doesn't always translate into desire. I have an obligation. Giving everything is hard without a clear meaning behind the desire. I know Rin meant well when she said that last part, but threats don't create genuine desire. Training really does suck. She must have had it worse. It means I should be grateful and push through it, but nothing can replace pure desire. But if I don't have this pure desire, do I even deserve what Rin is giving me?

If I try my hardest, will my best even be good enough? Once it's out in the open for Rin to judge, I feel so scared and nervous. What if she laughs? If my best isn't good enough, haven't I failed?

I guess I should talk to her sooner rather than later. Come to think of it, she hasn't told me why she started singing.

"You're too afraid of making mistakes. Why are you so ashamed? Is it embarrassing?"

"I'm afraid it won't be good enough for you."

"That's silly. If you're so afraid of making mistakes, you can't relax and enjoy singing. Your ability should be enough to get through it."

"But the pressure..."

"Pressure is there to tell you action is necessary, not to drive your actions. I asked you to give me your best. You can't do that if you're too busy being nervous. Tell me, is it your desire to perform badly?"

"No..."

"Stop being nervous and start focusing. Did you forget you're taking lessons, having nothing to worry about except getting better, and being trained by the best? If you were already perfect, there would be no point in having these lessons. If you can't relax, you can't do well. Got it?"

But that was just a dream. Rin would probably say something like that, but asking that question tells her I haven't been trying my hardest. But that isn't true, is it?

With that, Len rolled over and fell asleep, content.

* * *

One day was long enough of a visit, though they looked forward to seeing each other again. The inevitable parting was quick and painless, which made everything easier. As the car pulled away, the drive back to Rin's seemed as lively as before.

The girls were talkative, but not overly so. The silences were usually brief, but breaking this one had a purpose.

"Len, you're being awfully quiet. Is something wrong?" Miku took notice of Len's apparent desire to be left alone over the entire trip so far, since they were already halfway home. Rin tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to herself. Miku simply nodded, leaving the topic alone.

As they got to Rin's house, Len confirmed that he wanted to be alone. After the formalities of their inevitable departure, he went to his room.

Intent on not thinking about recent events, he got ready for bed. It was quite early, just a bit before four in the afternoon. Peace and quiet followed as sleep consumed him.

It was broken by a whisper that seemed to come far earlier than normal. He had been asleep for... ten, twenty minutes perhaps?

"Len!" It was Rin's voice. "We need to talk." Could it wait? Not a chance; Rin would only ask when the time was right. When Len wanted to be alone, Rin would only disturb him if it were important.

Once got to the living room, he noticed Miku and Gumi were still there. Before he could ask what was going on, Rin motioned to where they were sitting.

As they gathered and sat on the orange living room furniture, arranged in a circle, Rin broke the silence.

"It's time we shared a bit of our stories with you."

Len was only able to nod, overwhelmed by the feeling of being so grateful that silence is better than trying to find words to say. His only thoughts were about the coming revelations.

* * *

"This was never supposed to happen. Singing was my enemy. I was the worst singer of us three for years. Miku and Gumi were miles ahead." Rin said sheepishly, her head bowed slightly.

"It was a few months before Rin stopped feeling bad about her singing voice." Gumi's demeanor was similar; she didn't seem to take pride from Rin's earlier struggles. "You could see in her eyes; she forced herself to smile while her eyes showed sadness."

"I was close with Rin as well, but she warned me to keep our contact secret. That's why I couldn't say anything." Miku had concealed her friendship with Rin, extremely careful not to reveal anything to Len. Unless Rin has a close eye on you, if someone finds out you're close to her, your safety is compromised.

Gumi and Miku had known Rin and revealed nothing. They could have left him behind and worked with Rin, getting rich in the process. Both agreed to hold off on launching their careers to train him, if even a little.

The young female blonde wasn't called to singing by natural talent. Her skill was a little above average, one could say, but she was only a "decent" singer. Ten years old isn't the age most kids make up their minds for a career path they will stick with. You see, Rin was struggling through the learning process. No matter how many times she practiced the song her choir was going to perform, she would make a mistake.

"How long has it been?" she groaned, as the clock read 7 p.m. It was a Saturday, and she had been practicing for the past four hours, making it nine so far today. "It's only a two minute song. Why is this so hard?"

A soprano, she was the least skilled in her group. One might think she were a natural singer by how pleasant her singing voice was, but in reality, she was terrible at singing for the longest time. Why, then, did she now take up singing? Enter Gumi.

The green haired girl had been singing for two years when she noted how nice Rin's voice sounded. Gumi's talent was seemingly natural; she was even the top soprano at Rin's school. The two had been best friends for a while now, but Gumi was Rin's own mentor. Rin was only practicing alone because Gumi was out of town.

Couldn't she just wait until Gumi got back? Rin enjoyed singing because of the feeling of accomplishment she felt, but that didn't mean she was spared from constantly practicing the basics, albeit in the form of songs. It was a challenge, but it felt great to finally get there. No one was forcing her to sing.

The final soprano at their elementary school was Miku. Her path was very similar to Gumi's; she was also naturally good at singing.

How did Rin get so much better than they were?

Rin was persistent. It didn't matter if she messed up on the phrase a hundred times before, she was going to get it right and not get it wrong again. Even when her body told her how long it had been, though she would take the necessary breaks, she would keep trying. It wasn't going well this time.

It was just too hard. She knew what the sheet music said, having stared at the same phrase for three hours. It just wouldn't come out right. It started with her missing a note, the next she was late, then added an extra note. She ran out of breath, followed by missing a note again. Every time it came out wrong, she knew. Try again. Give up for now. Keep trying. Give up again.

Giving up wasn't what Gumi or Miku would want. It's still wrong...

Eventually, she got it right. A few repetitions and she was done. Then more repetition and the song was perfect.

* * *

When her friends were so much more skilled, she was determined to reach their level. It was this determination that allowed the inevitable "click" to come about. All she had to do now was write about something. This proved to be simple enough. With the lyrics and melody finished, it would be enough, she hoped.

Her musical skill was soon good enough. It's not like she couldn't spend years working on it while doing the other aspects of being a singer, like writing and making songs.

* * *

She turned to Len. "Len, you're a late bloomer. It's the same journey as before, except you're older now. The struggles are the same. This part isn't what musicians really do, but it's a great way to start. We all put the effort in, and we're all successful because of it. The concert and recordings simulated how kids feel about performances as well. Remember, the student's job is to put forth effort. It's the teacher's job to maximize that effort. I'm here to guide you along that journey."

"Before we get ahead of ourselves, Miku and Gumi are here to help me shape you into the singer of your future." Rin gave him a wide grin. "Things are going to become much harder now."

* * *

The ninth chapter is drafted and should be up in about seven days. The story is "Romance/Drama" for a reason. Keep this in mind.

As a side note, notifications to this story go directly to my phone. The response time on my end is not as quick. Balance between time between updates and the quality of those updates is a difficult thing to manage. Thank you for your continued support.

IvyValentine1: I haven't gone into much detail about Gumi, but putting her as a major character was not a mistake. I can promise that she will be a fixture; it wouldn't be right to focus on Rin and Len. Thanks for your kind words!


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